fill up: green wraps

Every Thursday I have a standing date with myself to get to our local Farmer's Market. It has really grown the past few years, and now houses many fruit and vegetable stands, along with those selling baked (some gluten-free!) goods, homemade aprons, fudge and a bunch of other neat items that are awesome. Oh, like honeycomb. I definitely got that as a surprise for my man, since he went ballistic when we had it for the first time in Turkey this summer.

Last Thursday I ended up buying a nice 50-pound bouquet of collard greens. It was pretty large...like, it couldn't even fit inside the poor bag the farmer was struggling to wrestle it into. The greens came out of the fight great - the bag, not so much.

When I was in line buying produce like a crazy person, a lady asked me what I planned on making with my greens bouquet that was the size of a petite toddler. I said something about sauteeing and baking, when my friend mentioned wraps. Then all the other things flew to the back of my brain, because wraps? YEAH. I had used greens before as taco shells, why not stuff 'em full of sandwich fixings as well?

These were fast and easy to prepare, and would be even more so if you steam the leaves in advance. If you're eating raw, however, I can see why you will opt out of the steaming action. In fact, when I used them as taco shells I didn't even bother cooking them first, and they were good as long as you don't mind a little extra crunch.

For the filling, I used some vegan cheese, which did its melty thing with the hot leaves and OHMAGAWSH, it was so good with some homemade pesto, tomatoes, and onions.

I will be making these again soon, most likely in about 4 hours. I have a lot of greens to use. 

Good thing greens are always in style.  

Vegetable Lasagna (vegan | gluten-free)

I'm here today with a recipe that stemmed from a serious problem - too much zucchini. I know, it was a toughy to work through, but I think I found the best solution possible.

My parents have always had a garden. As long as I can remember, my dad has planted and provided the required TLC to grow tomatoes, zucchini, squash, and herbs. The resulting bounty gets used pretty quickly, but sometimes they need a little help putting it all to good use, which is lucky for me.

I have adopted this gardening tendency,  and while I'm not nearly as successful with it as my father is, I have been able to keep my tomatoes, lettuce, onions, rhubarb and beets alive this year. I harvested my first round of beets this week, and I felt so cool. Little did we all know that Dwight Shrute had it figured out a long time ago that beets are totally the way to go. So did Doug Funnie.

Instagram: brittawebb

So last night, I had two fat zuccs and three hefty beets sitting on the counter, and we had a little brainstorming session on what their fate would be. After crossing off a simple saute (too boring for these beauties) and zucchini bread (I needed dinner), I decided that the zucchini's lengthy physique would not only make for fantastic "noodles," but they would pair quite nicely with those beets when nestled together in some Italian flavors.

I instantly remember this cashew "cheese" recipe my sister and I had used for our pizza, and realized then and there that a layered casserole of sorts would have to come into play. And oh MAN, it played hard. I can't wait for leftovers today.

This cashew cheese is so good. It has the same texture as ricotta, which makes it quite perfect for this dish. I found myself dipping leftover zucchini bits in it, so it makes a great dip as well. I also loved being able to use the entire beet, from the greens to the actual flesh. I don't particularly love the taste of beet greens, so this covered that up well so I was able to get all their amazing nutrients.

Lemon Ricotta Cashew Cheese
From Lunchbox Bunch

1 1/2 cups soaked and drained raw cashews (soak in salted water overnight)
1 tsp garlic powder
2 cloves of raw garlic
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/3 cup water + more as needed
1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)
dash of pepper
dash of cayenne
1 tsp mixed dried Italian herbs (optional)
a few dashes of ground flax seeds (optional)
small scoop of nutritional yeast (optional)

For the lasagna veggie portion
Based off this recipe


1/2 block firm tofu, diced
1/2 cup diced onion
2 Tb minced garlic
red pepper flakes
1 28 oz can diced tomatoes, pureed in a food processor
Italian spices
3 beets, cooked and cut into chunks
1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, diced
1 cup garbanzo beans
1/4 cup diced kalamata olives
1 large zucchini, cut into 1/2 inch strips
beet greens, torn into chunks
1/4 cup green onions

1. Make the cashew cheese sauce, and refrigerate.

2. Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

3. In a skillet, cook the onion, tofu and a splash of water over medium heat until the onion softens. Add in the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for another minute. Add the tomatoes and red pepper flakes and continue to cook in low heat for 10 minutes to let the flavors mingle.

4. In a medium bowl, mix together the beets, cherry tomatoes, garbanzo beans, and olives. Add in 1/4 cup of the tomato mixture and stir all together.

5. In a casserole dish, pour all the tomato mixture into the bottom. On top of the tomato mixture, add in half the beet greens. Layer on zucchini slices, then cover with half the cashew cheese - I just sort of dolloped and spread it on each zucchini slices. On top of the zucchini, layer on half the beet/tomato/chickpea mixture, followed by the remaining beet greens, then the last layer of zucchini, then the cheese, and finally the remaining tomato mixture.

6. Cook for 40 minutes and let cool for 10. Garnish with green onions.

thoughtsday :: 6.6.2013

1. First and foremost, can we all just agree that these shorts are the bomb? I don't know if it's the reusable grocery bag material or the serious creases, but I need to buy these in bulk like Hanes socks.

I sported those at the doctor's office yesterday, where I got an actual diagnosis for this knee biz. After having zero pain with all the pulling, pushing, (hit it! Bop it!), the doctor seemed pleased to say that it's just inflammation. SCORE.

I'm going to have two weeks of physical therapy, followed by another doctor's visit, followed by rest, followed by...run? Yeah, let's hope so.

2. In the meantime, I'm trying to adhere somewhat to the "anti-inflammatory diet" to try and heal up from the inside out. This has involved a large amount of smoothies, cherry juice, almonds, and dark chocolate.

Yes, there's a hunk of life-changing bread in there. Carb me up, baby.

Something you might already know that I wish I had known when green smoothies were first born into the universe as nature's cure-all: tart cherry juice 100% cancels out all vegetable taste, making your smoothie taste like dessert, and sometimes almost too sweet. The first time I got a little heavy-handed with it and ended up not using any milk, which was a little too much for me. I get mine at Trader Joe's every week and drink it pretty much every day.

3.  I'm the co-co-chair of a little event my friends (AKA my fellow co-chairs) and I are hosting on Saturday called BEER OLYMPICS. So what if this makes me sound like I'm still a sophomore in college - there's beer and sports and sun involved! Bring on the debauchery!

Oh, and I plan on bringing this little guy to really get the party going. There's nothing like a good fruity shark to get everyone wanting that W.

Courtesy of Taste of Home

What do you typically put in your smoothies to make them oh-so-delectable?

thoughtsday :: 3.28.13

Hi there! This has been quite a weird-o week that I haven't been able to get a good grip on. Between myself being sick, our furnace deciding to give up on life, having a slumber party at my parents, and then my husby getting sick it's all just been a little slippery around here.

Just when you think you have complete control of a situation (which we never do), the blindfold is pulled back over your eyes and you're wearing your mom's snuggly socks taking Nyquil on your parent's couch.

But honestly, it's sort of a good time to have our routine switched up a bit. Sometimes I feel entirely too calculated and type-A with my actions, so it's a nice reminder that I can go with the flow and actually embrace it.

Plus, ain't nothin' got somethin' on mom's fuzzy socks.

Onto some thoughts!

1. Homemade pho: it's the only thing I want when I'm sick, and it is so easy to make! All I did was boil 6 cups of water with one cube of Pho broth, which I found at an Asian store. Once that got to boiling, I added in cellophane noodles, but I'm sure you could easily use any kind of rice noodle. I also added in broccoli and a white onion, cut in thick slices. Once the veggies were done, I stirred in kale and turned the heat off and seasoned it with tons of Siracha.

It soothed my throat like no tea can, and the spice helped make my clogged nose start running, which I actually appreciated. Plus, my woozy stomach was a happy camper because rice noodles are so plain and the broth helped fill me up without making me feel overly stuffed. And now, this is all I have on the brain for dinner. Focus, focus, focus...


2. GARDEN-PLANTING! I have all sorts of big plans for planting a nice-sized garden using both our small entry-space plot of dirt and containers on our back porch. It's a little elaborate but I'm really hoping to pull it off. I read Barbara Kingsolver's "Animal, Vegetable, Miracle" last year and it really resonated with me. I definitely recommend it if you're interested in learning more about eating genuine, salt of the earth, locally-sourced food.

3. Marathon training: I'm hoping it's because my health hasn't been the best the best this week, but I have had zero motivation to go running. Surprisingly, despite being sick I have kept up with my runs, but it definitely required a strong positive mindset and a good dose of caffeine. I feel almost back to normal today, so hopefully tomorrow I will be ready and raring to go. If not, I suppose lack of motivation is another trait of marathon training that I'll have to push through.

Do you exercise when you're sick?

What is a meal or dish that you would rather make at home than go out for?

thoughtsday :: 3.7.13

oh HEY! I hope everyone has had a wonderful week thus far. I'm currently sitting in my pajamas at 6:08pm and it's still light outside, which has me a little thrown off. It feels like the days were 8 hours long yesterday, when it was perfectly normal to start getting ready for bed at 5:30. Now I feel like a lazy scrub making dinner in flannel pants...a feeling that obviously doesn't affect me too terribly, since there are no intentions of changing.

If you need more riveting tidbits from my brain, here we go:

1. Commuting. I was a 3.5 hour a day commuter for 3 years until last August, and while it didn't feel too awful at the time, I had to do it again yesterday and almost scratched my eyeballs out. While 80% of the time I would say I really enjoyed my job, it got to the point where it was no longer compensating for the time I spent riding a ferry to and from work. Lindsey had a good post discussing a similar topic, and I was definitely on the "living to work" end of things for awhile. Fast forward to now, where I (mostly) make my own schedule with an organization 5 miles from home. Pure bliss, I tell ya.

 

 

 

Not a terrible commute...for one day.

2. Speed workouts. After five weeks of completing my speed workouts on a track, I realized that the treadmill is a sweet way to crank 'em out. While the track is a predictable, flat and distance-accurate place to get a speed workout in, I think it triggers a sort of "inadequacy" feeling for me. Despite frantically checking my speed every 2 seconds, I always feel like I'm not going fast enough and not getting the workout in like I should be. However, when I run on the treadmill, I feel like I'm hoofing it 80 miles per hour, which makes me feel pretty badass. I always know I'm going the speed I want, because I'm forced to. Magic!

Mom, there's a glimmering monster in your basement.

3. Bangin' vegan foodstuffs. I don't know how I can ever have kids, since I focus the majority of my energy at home researching, preparing and cleaning up meals. I feel like I've learned so much these past few months on how to live a quality, healthy vegan lifestyle that it completely both overwhelms and excites me.

Here are a couple links to recipes we've enjoyed this week:

Pasta Salad with Creamy Sundried Tomato Sauce (I suggest cooking the red onions, which the recipe doesn't say to do. I didn't, which was a mistake.)

Chickpea Salad Sandwiches (We eaten this on bread, apples, and spoons. It's pretty versatile.)

Did you test out any great recipes this week that you want to share?

What's your work commute like?

the "life changing loaf of bread" (vegan | gluten-free)

The second I saw a photo of this bread, I knew I had to have it. It's packed with all things nutritious and makes you feel like you just consumed a balanced meal after a slice - not because you're stuffed full, but because it has it all!

Carbs? Check.

Protein? Check.

Healthy fats? Check.

Throw in some veggies and fruit and you have yourself a well-rounded, make-Grandma-proud-meal.

I used whole almonds, which I thought would be difficult to slice, but I was wrong. The oven crisped them up perfectly, so they are quite forgiving when a knife comes their way. The flax seeds got slightly crispy around the sides, and added a nice nutty flavor.

This bread is damn good when it popped into the toasted and slathered in Earth Balance and some jam. This decision created some internal conflict since peanut butter is my go-to spread, but I realized that since the bread is already chock-full of nuts I should really take a sweeter route. Best/worst decision because now I can't be stopped.

 

I first mentioned this bread at the end of last weekend, because it was all I could really think about eating whenever I got hungry. I even made it a home by permanently leaving out a cutting board, serrated knife, and small plate for prepping purposes. The toaster also started to live on the counter, when it's typically stored in the cupboard.

Lastly, I was a little hesitant to pop it out of the pan and straight onto the rack, as instructed after you first bake it for 20 minutes. Don't be scared. I didn't oil my pan first, so I took it out of the oven and ran a butter knife around the edges to loosen it up. That did the trick, and it came right out. I'm so glad too, because it resulted in a crunchy outside texture all around the bread - looove it.

Sarah's Life Changing Loaf of Bread
makes one loaf

You will need:

1 cup sunflower seeds
½ cup  flax seeds
½ cup hazelnuts or almonds
1 ½ cups rolled oats
2 Tbsp. chia seeds
4 Tbsp. psyllium seed husks (3 Tbsp. if using psyllium husk powder)
1 tsp. fine grain sea salt
1 Tbsp. maple syrup
3 Tbsp. melted coconut oil
1 ½ cups water

 How you do:

1. Combine all the dry ingredients, from the sunflower seeds to the salt, in your loaf pan and stir well to thoroughly combine.

2. In a measuring cup, whisk together the maple syrup, coconut oil and water. Add this to the dry ingredients and mix very well until everything is completely soaked and dough becomes very thick. You might need to ad a tablespoon or two of water to make it less thick. Smooth out the top with the back of a spoon.

3. Let sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours.


4. Preheat oven to 350°F / 175°C.

5. Place loaf pan in the oven on the middle rack, and bake for 20 minutes. Remove bread from loaf pan, place it upside down directly on the rack and bake for another 30-40 minutes. Bread is done when it sounds hollow when tapped. Let cool completely before slicing (difficult, but important).

fruit & nut energy bars (vegan | gluten-free)

I couldn't NOT post this recipe for you guys, because I've been living off these for the past week. They're vegan and gluten-free, have some serious staying power, and best of all they're delicious.

After they set in the fridge, I popped them into a baggie and stored them in the fridge for easy access. Whenever Scott or I need a quick snack, there they are. I also ate them after dinner one night with a huge glass of orange juice, and called it dessert. Who have I become?

You can use any mix of fried fruits and nuts for  these, just make sure to chop them up nice and small. The original recipe called for honey (not vegan) and barley malt syrup (what the heck is that?), so I subbed that out with a combination of molasses and maple syrup.

Fruit & Nut Energy Bars
adapted from Jean Enersen
makes one 9x11 pan

Ingredients
2 cups oats (ensure they're certified gluten-free if necessary)
1 cup nuts (I used cashews and almonds)
1 T cinnamon
1 cup dried fruit (I used prunes, apricots and cranberries)

1/3 cup  maple syrup
1/4 cup  molasses
1 cup peanut butter
2 T oil
1/2 t  sea salt

To do
1. Toast the oats and nuts in a baking pan for 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

2. While oats and nuts are roasting, combine all wet ingredients and salt in a sauce pan on medium to low heat on the stove and stir until well blended about 10 minutes.

3. In a large mixing bowl, add the chopped fruit, cinnamon, toasted oats and nuts, and the liquid and thoroughly combine.



4. Transfer mixture to a 9x11 baking pan and push down evenly with your hands. Pop into the fridge for at least 2 hours, then cut into squares.